Pietro Roselli of San Casciano returns visit by MH
’s Dennis Kennedy
The weather was mostly California-perfect with no rain in sight but Mayor Pietro Roselli of San Casciano Valdi Pesa, Italy, took the city by storm anyway. In the first-ever visit of an official Sister City, Roselli and his family, came, saw and conquered. In this case, conquered means making friends and gaining a new understanding of how two cities so far apart can also be so close together.
The cities are of similar size, are both equi-distant from large cities – in San Casciano’s case, Florence in Tuscany – and are agricultural and wine-growing areas with some technology creeping in. Mayor Dennis Kennedy and his wife, Eileen, visited San Casciano in October to meet the Rosellis and to sign the official pact cementing the relationship between the two cities.
Making the visit possible from a communication point of view was Diulio Peruzzi, a professor at San Jose State University and a friend of the Rosellis. He accompanied the group on all outings, acting as translator. During the two week trip beginning on June 24, Roselli, his wife Christina, son Enrico, Enrico’s friend Martina Mecacci and San Casciano’s Cultural Affairs Director Lucia Bagni stayed in local homes and were treated to the best the Bay Area has to offer.
Newkirk said the community showed an amazing amount of interest in the visit.
“This is the first really big event we’ve attempted,” Newkirk said. “It’s almost inspiring that so many people showed up; we had a very small committee when we started this thing but people just came out of nowhere and said, ‘Can I get involved?’”
Upon arrival the Rosellis were guests at a ceremony at the Community and Cultural Center to reaffirm the Proclamation of the Sister City Relationship, followed by an appearance at the City Council meeting where they were introduced to the entire town via cable Channel 17. The Italian contingent was wined and dined with true Morgan Hill hospitality, with events hosted by the DiVittorio and Chiala families. The Guglielmo Winery and Geraldine Mercante of Willow Heights supplied wine, food and good will.
Many of Morgan Hill’s families opened their homes to the guests.
On June 26, the Chialla Family hosted a reception, attended by 120 people, at their home in Fountain Oaks. The Rosellis stayed at Willow Heights with the Mercantes and with the Rusconis.
They visited San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Cruz and Carmel. San Juan Bautista was a big hit, according to Bill Newkirk, of the Business Assistance and Housing Services department and who has arranged the program for the city from the beginning. That small picturesque and historic town with its mission church and old (to Californians) streets of shops and restaurants caused the group to stay quite awhile. But, Newkirk said, it was the earthquake fault that was the main attraction. Signs near the mission, pointing over a fence to “the San Andreas Fault” are part of any tourist visit.
While in town the Rosellis et al toured Specialized Bicycles and were thrilled, Newkirk said, that someone there spoke Italian. In fact an Italian bicycling champion – one from San Casciano – rides Specialized.
They also visited Alien Technology and Fox Racing where everyone discovered that many of the leather goods Fox markets are made near San Casciano.
The group also took part in the Fourth of July festivities.
Sister City Committee member Ernie Rusconi said he was amused by the reaction of the two ladies in the group, Christina Roselli and Lucia Bagni, as they hopped on the back of a pair of rather ferocious-looking motorcycles driven by a pair of equally interesting cyclists. The Fourth of July weekend is traditionally the cause of tens of thousands of cyclists encamping in nearby Hollister.
One small problem arose during the Fourth of July parade in which Mayor Roselli rode with Kennedy and the rest of the party followed in a separate car. That vintage car made it as far as Monterey Road and First Street before it had to be pushed to the side and the occupants transferred to other transportation.
Mecacci, Newkirk said, was at first hesitant to ride in the parade – it being a rather foreign experience.
But, after talking with some local girls who demonstrated the ‘beauty queen wave’, she obviously had fun. While the adults returned to Italy on July 6, Enrico and Martina stayed on until Monday, Enrico with the John Kent family and Martina with Diane and Ed Tewes and their daughters.
Tewes, who is Morgan Hill’s city manager, said his wife had taken Martina to Berkeley – in search of a different kind of local color. It was exactly what she was looking for, he said – the hippie experience.
The next chapter in the Sister City affair will take place in the summer of 2004 when the Britton Middle School band will tour Italy and, of course, make a stop to play for Morgan Hill’s new cousins in San Casciano. Citizen involvement is important to the Sister City program and everyone is welcome to join. Contact Chuck Dillmann at 778-9990 x16.
Chuck Dillmann, president of the Sister City Committee, contributed to this story.
